Co-operation under Occupation: The story of the Palestinian Women In Hebron co-operative

Nawal Slemiah co-founded the Women In Hebron co-operative in 2005 in the West Bank, Palestine. It began by selling handicrafts in the Old City market of Hebron – an area which is under Israeli military control. Nawal will be speaking in Brighton on Tuesday 23 October to tell the story of the co-operative and what it is like to operate under the Israeli Occupation.

The co-operative now has more than 150 women producing items sold across the Hebron district. The co-op is part of the Idna Cooperative Association for Embroidery and Handicrafts which has been able to open a small community centre in Idna, a town in the Hebron district. Here members of the association can gather together to do their work and socialise.

From the co-operative’s website: “Our work is based on the idea that developing Palestinian handicrafts is more than just an income-generating project. It is in of itself an act of community-strengthening, of honoring the role of women in our society, and a means to show sumud – steadfastness – in the face of the occupation of Palestine and the harm it has done to the people of Hebron.”

Nawal will be bringing some of the goods produced by Women In Hebron and they will be available to buy at the event.